Bow type web spreading means



Aug. 16, 1966 H. w. MOSER ETAL 3,266,743

BOW TYPE WEB SFREADING MEANS Filed Oct. 22, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT 5:. HENRY W. MO R ROBERT V. SCHULTEK ATTYS.

g 1966 H. w. MOSER ETAL 3,266,743

BOW TYPE WEB SPREADING MEANS Filed Oct. 22, 1963 5 Sheets-$heet 5 FIGS HENRY W- MOSER ROBERT V. SCHULTEK ATTYS.

INVENTOR S2 3,266,743 Ce Patented August I6, 1966 3,266,743 BOW TYPE WEE SPREADING MEANS Henry W. Moser, Haddonfield, NJL, and Robert V.

Schuitelr, Arlington Heights, Ill, assiguors to Samuel M. Langston Company, Camden, N..l., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Get. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 318,016 12 Claims. (Cl. 242-564) This invention relates to bow type web spreading means and has for an object the provision of improvements in this art.

An early form of a bow type web spreader is shown in the patent to Iefferis 674,919, May 28, 1901. The spreader disclosed in that patent is used between a web splitter and the winder for the split webs and that has been the usual employment for web spreaders; but they can also be used for other purposes, such as stretching a web laterally, ironing out wrinkles, and other services for which they are suited. The Jefferis patent shows a bendable bar form of spreader but some roll type spreaders are known.

The present invention is illustrated in connection with web slitting mechanism by way of example, but, as indicated above, it can have other uses.

In slitting machines, the several slit webs have a tendency to approach each other as they travel forward from the slitter and if some means is not provided to prevent, the slit webs will overlap at their adjacent edges and when wound into rolls driven by a common spindle will not be disconnected as desired but will have overlapping edges which makes it difiicult to separate the wound rolls and, in addition, is injurious to the product.

Bow spreaders eliminate this problem and by providing adjustment at a plurality of points along the length of the bow make it possible to secure adjustable spreading between a considerable number of unit widths of web material. The Jeiferis patent disclosed this.

There are a number of difiiculties and disadvantages in the use of web spreading equipment thus far known which the present invention overcomes.

For one thing, the present machines on which the web spreaders are used have become very large and complex and it is very difiicult to gain access for making adjustments, especially at the interior positions between the ends of the spreader. That is, it is difficult to gain access for making adjustments even when the machine is idle; it is practically impossible and extremely dangerous to attempt to make adjustments while the machine is in operation. Running adjustments are almost necessary because if shut-down adjustments are made it is usually necessary to start and stop and repeat them a number of times before a satisfactory set-up is attained; and then a change in material or conditions may make frequent adjustments desirable. It will be seen that the waste of labor and of production time of very expensive machinery--often in an extensive line of machines-make it most desirable to provide means which can be adjusted quickly, easily and safely and, preferably, while the machine is running.

Further, it is very desirable that the adjusting means he provided at a location where the operator can observe the final effects of the adjustments while he is making them; that is to say, in the case of slit widths of web being wound on a single spindle, he should be able to observe the winding rolls, their separation and character, while he is making the adjustments.

The present invention overcomes these difficulties by providing manual adjusting means which is remote from the ultimate bow spreader adjusting means and so located that the operator is clear of running machinery and in a position to observe the results of the adjustments while he is making them.

The above discussion applies to both the bar type and the roll type web spreaders. With roll type Spreadersat least all those provided up to the present-so far as known, there are further difficulties and disadvantages.

For one thing, the spreader rolls can only be bent into a single curve and not into a number of separate curves along their length, as is desirable for variations necessary to spread dilferent narrow webs separately, or, as is desirable, to compensate for variations in surface conditions and variable characteristics of the web across the width of a wide sheet.

Further, while the position at which the roll bowing is adjusted-usually at the endsmay be accessible, it is still impossible for the results to be observed while the adjustments are being made.

According to the present invention, these difiiculties are overcome by providing separate roll segments which form the bow spreader, by providing a plurality of adjusting means at the segment ends, and by providing remote adjusting means for each adjusting unit which is located at a position where the effects of the adjustments are immediately observable while making the adjustments.

The objects of the invention, as well as various features of novelty and advantages, will be apparent from the following description of certain exemplary embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic vertical transaxial section of bar type bow web spreading apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an axial section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 2 but showing a roll type bow web spreading device;

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 3 but showing the roll type bow spreader, the view being on a reduced scale taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a view like part of FIG. 2 but showing a modified operating connection to the bow spreader.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wide web W, travelling in the direction shown by the arrows over a guide roll 10 to width-adjustable slitting mechanism, which is generally designated by the numeral 11; thence the separate narrow strips Wl travel over a guide plate 12, a bow spreader 13, and one of two drive rolls 14 to a winding roll spindle 15 where they are wound into a plurality of separate rolls R. FIGS. 3 and 4 show how the wide web W is slit into separate narrow webs W1 which are separated laterally by the bow spreader 13.

The bow spreader 13 shown in FIGS. 1-5 is of the bendable bar type provided along its length with a plurality of connected unit-length adjusting rods 20 which, as shown in FIG, 2, are threaded into the bar and held fast by jarnb nuts 21. Heretofore simple local screw adjusting means have been provided for changing the shape of the bow bar and this has made it necessary to go beneath the machine to make the adjustments. As is well known and as stated above, these machines are large and complex and it has often been a practice to provide a pit beneath the machine to furnish access for making adjustments. This makes a more expensive installation and still does not allow the one making the adjustments to observe the results of the adjustments while making them. Consequently, it is usual to be obliged to make several adjustments before the proper setting can be attained. For safety, it is usual to shut down the machine or line while making the adjustments.

According to the present invention, these difficulties are eliminated by providing each segment adjusting rod with a local driven power adjusting device which is generally designated by the numeral 22, each driven device 22 being operated by a remote driving device 23 located outside the main machine environs where the operator can observe the effect at the rolls R while he is making the adjustments. The devices 22 and 23 are interconnected by a power transmission line 24.

The action of the device 22 resembles that of a driven motor so it may be referred to as a motor. In the embodiments shown herein hydraulic fluid is used as the power transmitting means so the power line 24 is formed as a conduit line, preferably flexible so it can be easily installed. The driving device 23, now, in effect, becomes a pump.

The driving device 23 can be constituted as a fluid cylinder-piston device like the master cylinder of an automobile with the usual pedal-operated plunger replaced by screw-operated piston-actuating rod 25 turned by a hand wheel 26. A mounting bar 27 at the front of the machine here forms a support for all of the adjusting devices 23.

The local driven adjusting device 22, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a cylinder-piston motor arrangement which has a cylinder 30 connected to the fluid conduit 24 and supported by a tubular casing 31 secured, as by cap bolts 32 (FIG. 1), to a frame bar 33. Specifically, the cylinder 30 is secured to one head 34 of the casing 31, another head 35 at the other end providing guide means for a rod 36 which carries the adjustment rod 20 and also serving as a retainer for one end of a spring 37. The rod 36 inside the casing 30 and within the head 34, carries a collar or head 38 against which the other end of the spring 37 is engaged. A piston 39 inside the cylinder 30 either engages the end of the rod 36 directly or, as shown, has a cupped end carrying a hardened ball 40 which engages the end of the rod 36. The piston moves the rod 36 outward and the spring returns it.

It will be obvious that the rod 36 may be operated wholly by fluid and the spring eliminated by providing double-acting cylinder-piston devices at 22 and 23 instead of the single-acting devices shown and using two fluid lines to connect the opposite ends of the cylinders. This is a common type of push-pull fluid actuated system and will be clear without illustration.

A typical combination slitting or winding or rewinding machine would, for example, accommodate a roll 117" long and would be provided with twelve equally spaced spreader bar adjusting devices across the length of the spreader bar.

The modification shown in FIGS. 57 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same reference characters being used for the same parts, except that the bar bow spreader is replaced by a segmented articulated roll bow spreader 13 comprising a plurality of end-adjacent short rolls or roll segments mounted at the ends on bearings 46 carried on a bendable shaft 47 which at roll ends is mounted in flared yoke openings 48 of operating rods 20' mounted on the ends of the operating rods 36' of the motor adjusting devices 22. The arrangement provides axial adjustment of the shaft 47 relative to the operating rods 36' to accommodate bending of the shaft.

The rolls at the ends are bevelled or tapered slightly to a smaller diameter as at 45a, the better to fit the various curvatures required for different adjustments.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the manner in which webs W1 are carried on the rolls. The slits may come between the ends of the rolls, toward the ends of either adjacent roll, or even well toward the middle of the rolls, and still the desired spreading between webs is achieved.

The motor devices and their actuation from the remote control devices is the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows a modification of the first form in which the bow adjusting rod 36" is provided with a fitting 51 at the end which has an articulated connection 52 with the bow spreader 13" which provides lateral relative sliding movement between the bow spreader and rod ends to compensate for changes in length of the bow spreader with changes in its arcuate shape.

Roll spreaders are especially suited for processing heavily coated paper which would be subject to scratching if passed over bar bowing spreaders. The present roll arrangement provides separate local adjustment at a number of points across the width of the wide web like that provided by bar bow spreaders but not possible with prior roll bow spreaders so far as known.

The present equipment, even the roll spreading embodiment, is relatively simple and can be installed on most existing machines as well as on new machines. With this equipment the bow spreaders of either the bar or roll embodiment can be quickly and minutely adjusted by an operator at the remote controls where he can observe the results of the adjustments as he makes them with the machine in operation. The shape of the bow as a whole can be changed or any segment of length can be separately adjusted as required.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from the above description without further explanations.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been shown for purposse of illustration, it is to be understood that there may be various embodiments and modifications within the general scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. Bow type web spreading apparatus comprising a bow web spreader, a wind-up means for winding a web including a winding spindle, a plurality of connecting rods below and coupled to the bow spreader at spaced points along its length, a separate drive operating means for selectively and independently causing movement of each rod toward and away from the bow spreader, each drive operating means being located at a position adjacent the wind-up means below a horizontal plane containing said spindle, and power drive transmission means connecting each rod to its respective drive operating means, whereby the curvature of the bow spreader may be selectively adjusted from a location adjacent said wind-up means while the bow spreader is in contact with a moving web so that the effect of the curvature of the bow spreader may be observed during such contact.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which each segmental roll is tapered at the ends.

3. Bow type web spreading apparatus, comprising in combination, web slitting means for dividing a wide web into a plurality of strips, means at one side of the apparatus for separately winding said strips into rolls, a bow spreader between said web slitting means and said strip winding means, a plurality of separate adjusting means spaced along the bow spreader for changing its arcuate shape, means for actuating said adjusting means, said winding means being between said actuating means and said slitting means and flexible power transmission means between said adjusting means and said actuating means for transmitting movement between them.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which said transmission means acts outwardly toward said adjusting means, and a resilient spring constantly urging said adjusting means in the opposite direction away from said spreader.

5. A bow type web spreader apparatus comprising a bow web spreader, a plurality of connecting means coupled to the bow spreader at spaced points along its length, a separate reciprocally mounted piston means operatively associated with said connecting means, a separate remotely located drive operating means for selectively and independently moving each piston means, and power drive transmission means extending between each piston means and one of said drive operating means, whereby the curvature of said bow spreader may be selectively adjusted from a remote location while the bow spreader is in contact with the moving web so that the eflect of the curvature of the bow spreader may be observed during such contact, said power drive transmission means including a separate hydraulic conduit operatively associated with each piston means, and each remotely located drive operating means being coupled to a separate one of said conduits for exerting a pressure on hydraulic fluid therein.

6. Apparatus comprising a bow web spreader, a plurality of adjusting rods connected to said spreader at spaced points therealong on the same side of said spreader so that the side of said spreader opposite from said rods may engage a moving web, a separate device for actuating each rod, a transmission line extending between each device and one of said rods, a web windup means for winding up webs spread apart by said spreader, said windup means having a horizontal axis of rotation and being positioned so that a vertical plane containing said axis is disposed between said spreader and said devices, said transmission lines passing below said windup means, and said devices being adjacent said windup means so that operation of said devices to cause said rods to vary the curvature of said spreader may be accomplished while the web is being wound by said windup means and the effect of said curvature may be observed at said windup means.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said bow spreader includes a plurality of segmental articulated rolls, one of said adjusting rods being disposed between juxtaposed ends of adjacent rolls.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 including a spring for each rod, each spring biasing its respective rod in a direction along its axis away from the bow spreader.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said transmission lines are hollow lines filled with a fluid, and each device being adjustable for pressurizing the fluid in its respective transmission line.

10. Bow type web spreading apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said power transmission means includes hollow conduits and pistons, each piston being connected to one of said rods, each conduit extending from one of the drive operating means for transmitting fluid pressure to one of the pistons.

11. Bow type web spreading apparatus comprising a bow web spreader, a plurality of connecting means coupled to the bow spreader at spaced points along its length, a separate reciprocally mounted piston means operatively associated with each connecting means, a separate drive operating means for selectively and independently moving each piston means toward and away from the bow spreader, web slitting means, a wind-.up means for winding up slit webs, said how spreader being disposed between said wind-up means and said web slitting means, said drive operating means being located adjacent said Wind-up means, and power drive transmission means extending between each piston means and its respective drive operating means, whereby the curvature of the bow spreader may be selectively adjusted from a location adjacent said wind-up means while the bow spreader is in contact with a moving web so that the effect of the curvature of the bow spreader may be observed during such contact and while the web is being wound.

12. Bow type web spreading apparatus comprising a bow web spreader, a plurality of connecting means coupled to the bow spreader at spaced points along its length, a separate reciprocally mounted piston means operatively associated with said connecting means, a separate drive operating means remotely located with respect to said piston means for selectively and independently moving each piston means, power drive transmission means extending between each piston means and one of said drive operating means, a separate return spring associated with each piston means for biasing its piston means in a direction away from the bow spreader, whereby the curvature of said bow spreader may be selectively adjusted from a remote location while the bow spreader is in contact with the moving web so that the effect of the curvature of the bow spreader may be observed during such contact.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,953,177 4/1934 Isherwood 26-63 2,158,632 5/1939 Mettler 26-63 2,592,090 4/ 1952 Weaver 242-7 6 2,823,443 2/ 1958 Umstott 26-63 3,072,353 1/1963 Moser 242-56.4 3,104,149 9/1963 Streu 226-196 X 3,106,365 10/1963 Karr 242-76 3,139,963 7/1964 Nadler 242-76 X FOREIGN PATENTS 119,133 9/1918 Great Britain.

400,677 11/ 1933 Great Britain.

416,905 9/ 1934 Great Britain.

360,792 7/1938 Italy.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

M. J. COLITZ, J. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiners UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,266,743 August 16, 1966 Henry W. Moser et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the drawings, Fig. 2, the arrow indicating the direction of rotation of the left drive roll 14 Should be reversed to show that the roll rotates in a clockwise direction.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of January 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. BOW TYPE WEB SPREADING APPARATUS COMPRISING A BOW WEB SPREADER, A WIND-UP MEANS FOR WINDING A WEB INCLUDING A WINDING SPINDLE, A PLURALITY OF CONNECTING RODS BELOW AND COUPLED TO THE BOW SPREADER AT SPACED POINTS ALONG ITS LENGTH, A SEPARATE DRIVE OPERATING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY AND INDEPENDENTLY CAUSING MOVEMENT OF EACH ROD TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE BOW SPREADER, EACH DRIVE OPERATING MEANS BEING LOCATED AT A POSITION ADJACENT THE WIND-UP MEANS BELOW A HORIZONTAL PLANE CONTAINING SAID SPINDLE, AND POWER DRIVE TRANSMISSION MEANS CONNECTING EACH ROD TO ITS RESPECTIVE DRIVE OPERATING MEANS, WHEREBY THE CURVATURE OF THE BOW SPREADER MAY BE SELECTIVELY ADJUSTED FROM A LOCATION ADJACENT SAID WIND-UP MEANS WHILE THE BOW SPREADER IS IN CONTACT WITH A MOVING WEB SO THAT THE EFFECT OF THE CURVATURE OF THE BOW SPREADER MAY BE OBSERVED DURING SUCH CONTACT. 